Suni Lee eliminated from 'Dancing With the Stars'

The St. Paul native and actress Melora Hardin were sent home in Monday's semifinals.

November 16, 2021 at 2:02PM
Sasha Farber and Suni Lee performed on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” on Monday night. (ABC/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Suni Lee won't be adding the Mirrorball Trophy to her mantel. The Olympic gold medalist was one of two couples eliminated Monday from "Dancing With the Stars" in the semifinals round.

Lee, 18, did impress the judges with her fox trot to Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet" and her contemporary dance to Sara Bareilles' "Gravity." But after viewers' votes were counted up, Lee ended up in the bottom three of the six remaining contestants.

The judges had one last chance to save her, but they voted instead for Amanda Kloots. Melora Hardin, best known for her work on "The Office," was also sent home.

Throughout the evening, the St. Paul native talked about the pressure she has been feeling since the Olympics and how "DWTS" helped her "learn to love myself."

Every week on the show, the judges praised Lee for showing more and more expression and self confidence.

In an interview that aired on "Good Morning America" Tuesday, Lee said she'll remember the experience forever.

"It helped me come out of my shell," she said.

Jojo Siwa, Iman Shumpert, Cody Rigsby and Kloots will compete in the finals and a winner will be crowned next Monday.

about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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